Eddie Howe has been speaking to the media this morning, offering an update on injuries and availability heading into Sunday’s trip to Brighton.

We head into the game in third – although that will change if Man City beat Wolves tonight – and have won 20 of the last 26 games, giving us real belief that we can get the job done over the final month of 2024/25.

However, there was news of an injury setback on Wednesday, as Craig Hope at The Mail reported that Joelinton is unlikely to play again this season.

Howe has been asked about the midfielder’s current situation this morning, offering a pretty mixed update on the big man from Brazil.

Howe on Joelinton and Botman

For me, there is good and bad news to take from Eddie Howe’s comments on Joelinton this morning.

The bad news is that “it’ll be difficult” for him to play again this season, suggesting he really is facing a race against time to feature following a niggling knee injury that’s giving him “discomfort.”

However, on a positive note, it is “nothing serious” and the club are not ruling anything out regarding his ability to recover, with Howe insisting he’s “so motivated” to come back before our final game against Everton on Sunday 25th May.

Howe said: “The likelihood is it’ll be difficult [to play again this season]. I think, but with Joe, we could never rule him out.

“I think he’s so motivated to try and come back but he had discomfort in his knee last week, just before the game, so he’s sort of got a specialist’s opinion. That opinion was that it was nothing serious but he needed a period of rest.

“He’s now in Brazil and we’ll wait and see if we can get him back before the end of the season – but the answer is probably not.”

Elsewhere, Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon have trained all week and are pushing for starts once again, but Matt Targett (hamstring) is set to sit out the final weeks of the season along with Lewis Hall.

On Botman, Howe said: “He came through last weekend OK. He trained again this week and looks good so it’s been positive to have him back.”

Who steps in for big Joe?

Joelinton’s absence leaves a huge hole down that right side, as we have no like-for-like in terms of his presence and power.

However, one left-sided option who looks almost certain to get the nod, on Sunday at least, is Joe Willock.

He’s had a tough season, battling injuries and a lack of sharpness, highlighted by the fact he’s yet to score a league goal all season. But he is the man Howe looks set to turn to, for now at least, in big Joe’s absence.

Should Willock fail to impress, we have 19-year-old Lewis Miley waiting for his chance and more than capable of doing a job, while Sean Longstaff’s route to game time look limited now he appears to be sixth choice after no league start in 2025.